Power Mad - Cult Leader
Note that for the purposes of this article entry, a cult is any group that uses fear and intimidation to control its members. The Cult Leader does not want a huge territory or massive numbers of followers; instead, he prefers the personal domination of the lives of others. To this end, this villain will either form a group or join an existing one and claw his way to the top of it, so as to gain a position of authority. Once insulated in this leadership position, this master manipulator begins to control as many aspects of his followers' lives as possible. Cults and similar secret societies are powerful groupings that oft exist in larger locales. The Cult Leader controls the members of his chosen group completely, and through them, wields surprisingly large influence. This is especially true if a given cult contains high-ranking or otherwise influential members of society. It is more important to note, however, that the cult is seldom religious in nature. The Cult Leader prefers to act as a figurehead or mouthpiece for some god or demon, as opposed to being the object of worship himself. A Cult Leader may use religious trappings as part of the group, but there is never any true divine involvement. The smaller numbers involved in a cult mean that the villain has tighter control than a general commanding an army. His followers obey his commands, which he finds extremely satisfying. However, once he's indulged his every dark desire, the Cult Leader quickly grows bored. At this points, he issues commands solely for the point of exerting his own power and thus slaking his own addiction to said power. This is, traditionally, when he begins to become dangerous to everyone and everything around him, as his need for obedience pushes his followers to further and further extremes. Perhaps his one saving grace is his fear of exposure, and the fear of persecution by the authorities. The Cult Leader prefers to work behind-the-scenes. He knows that the authorities in the region, were they to discover his activities, would hunt down and destroy him. Of course, if certain members of his cult have political power in the region, he will feel comfortable taking much greater risks. In spite of this, this villain consistently tends to underestimate himself. He limits his activies to those he feels are low-risk. He is still capable of creating widespread fear and hatred in the general population, though his activities expose the villain to the lowest-possible chance of capture. Despite his addiction to controlling the lives of others, he places a high value on his personal freedom, though he will impose restrictions on his own activities to maintain his way of life. He will never place his safety at risk for greater power, save for when he needs to rebuild his base of followers. The motivations for this villain can be either extremely complex or extraordinarily simple. Regardless of the complexity, however, he is sure to conceal his activities. It is often a simple lust for power or need to feel superior to others due to a lifetime of victimization that drives him. This villain sends his followers to commit atrocities that most sane individuals would find disgusting. Murder, arson, and theft are all examples of crimes he encourages in others, though he'll never openly commit these acts himself. He has no other ulterior motive or agenda, simply the need to prove his dominance over other sentient beings. To this end, he may resort to mind-influencing magic, though charisma and careful planning are oft sufficient. The Cult Leader maintains a well-appointed, if not opulent headquarters where the cult meets. However, wealth is not his goal. He will use its trappings to gain others to his banner, however, and tempt others to listen to his words. His small, yet fanatically-loyal, power-base makes him surprisingly dangerous; this villain will not think twice about sacrificing his followers to protect himself. He is usually best-suited for lower-level arcs, but can be a much greater threat with sufficient resources behind him or controls enough influential individuals. Cult Leader Variants *'Personality:' This Cult Leader's cult is based almost entirely on his own charisma. This villain has a great amount of control over his followers, and will use it to his advantage. *'Religious:' The most common cult, in which the followers obey the decrees of the Cult Leader fanatically. Often it begins as a small offshoot of an otherwise-common religion that began when the Cult Leader began warping the original religion's edicts to serve his own ends. *'Social:' Social cults have formed a social clique based on some trivial thing or another - Social cults are common, though almost none are accomplished enough to pursue a given goal. When they do, however, they are extremely dangerous. Directory Link Back to Power Mad.